Collard Greens With Bacon

I've never made collard greens before, but found this recipe online and gave it a try. My whole family loved them. They were great! UPDATE: I just made them without bacon since I didn't have any and just added a smoky hot sauce and they were still good. Some sort of fat just makes them extra good though.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 4  slices  thick-sliced bacon, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1  small yellow onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 -2  tablespoon maple syrup
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 3  dashes  hot sauce
• 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2  lbs  collard greens, stems removed, sliced into 3-inch-wide strips (can substitute kale or chard)
• 1  cup chicken broth

Directions

1. Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Cook the bacon in the skillet until it just begins to brown around the edges, stirring occasionally. Don't overcook the bacon. It should be barely brown around the edges and still somewhat raw-looking in the middle.
2. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, syrup and hot sauce. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Add the vinegar, bring to a simmer, and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by half, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the collard greens and the chicken broth (or water) and bring to a simmer. Reduce the temp to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the collard greens have wilted and have lost their brightness. Season to taste with additional vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with some of the pan juices from the pan.